Just Organic Tea

Most of my lovely samples from Just Organic tea have been waiting patiently for my return from travel and then a bit more for life to be sane enough to actually sit and enjoy my tea. The dry tea in its little sample bag must be scented from the other samples as it smells like incense. I’ve eaten a lot of “holy basil” in curries and like it a lot with fish but never drunk it. And after 5 minutes brewing the whole sample in 8 oz of 195 degree water the incense is gone it smells of basil and red clover. The taste also has hints of the clover sweetness. Its clearing the fumes and confusion from my mind with a gentle warm summer breeze. The flavor is a bit sweet and a bit buttery or maybe that’s me remembering the village in Nepal where they poured ghee offerings on their tulsi bush? Its also soothing to the stomach and head! I will try this one again although I often dont’ like straight herbals this one is differnet it doesn’t taste like grass!

I finally got around to drinking this lovely sample.

I was nervous once again because the baggy had that icky smell I’ve been bitching about with the Just Organic Teas samples I received. The teas have been good but that smell! Even after a month of airing out the baggies it’s still there.

I couldn’t put my finger on many specific notes when I drank this. I wasn’t trying to really. Sometimes it’s nice to just drink tea and not think too much.

It wasn’t an OMG amazing tea but it left me content and pleased. I could definitely see restocking this one as I don’t have many straight black teas I enjoy. The mishmash of notes blended together into something smooth and pleasant. I

I feel like this would also make a good cold brew.

I grabbed this tea this morning and pretty much had to chug it and run out the door. So, this may not be a totally fair review. I felt like this was just a basic chai with nothing really to distinguish it, but it was pleasant enough.

Thank you again for the samples, Just Organic Teas! I wanted to try the Earl Grey but maybe I didn’t try it soon enough sitting with the others samples, because there doesn’t seem to be that much bergamot with this one. This is the base that tastes like pumpkin to me, I’m not sure which base that is. Maybe it’s the oothu… I haven’t tried it yet. But it definitely isn’t the assam that tastes like tomato to me. The base is always good, but again, not enough bergamot for me! When I want my bergamot, I want my BERGAMOT. The second steep was the same as the first. Not the EG I’d choose to buy. But maybe it’s just the thin baggie it was in made the bergamot disappear over the last few weeks?
Steep #1 // 10 min after boiling // 3 min
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min

This new trilogy of medication for my allergies and asthma are annoying. The side effects are just bad enough to make me really uncomfortable, but not bad enough that I can justify stopping them. Plus being able to breathe again after who knows how long is great. It will take some getting used to and with any luck the side effects will start to balance out soon.

Today’s tea is from Just Organic Tea, Just Relaxing Red, a straight Rooibos tea from the land of South Africa. Did you know that the plant that produces the lovely little leaves (Aspalanthus linearis) is actually a legume? There is your random plant fact for the day. I had my first run in with Rooibos back when I was 17, my coffee shop haunt had this great Rooibos smoothie, I was sad when its limited run ended because I became hooked on it. The aroma of this tea is very typical of a Rooibos, it is woody, sweet, a bit sharp, and a rich caramel sweetness. Rooibos has a very acquired aroma I feel, there are times I crave its woody sweetness, other times it gives me a headache.

The brewed leaves (hey these surprisingly didn’t all end up outside of my steeping basket, win!) have a very woody quality with a strong sweetness and a really rich caramel presence. It smells like a really high quality Rooibos. The liquid without the little red leaves is woody and richly caramel, it smells yummy!

Not surprisingly, it tastes yummy! The taste is woody and rich with strong notes of caramel and sweetness that reminds me a bit of vanilla cookies. Like all Rooibos (crap, what is the plural of Rooibos?) tea it gives the mouth a dry feel, however it is milder than most ones I have sipped. One thing I will give this Rooibos credit for is its richness and heaviness, it tastes just like the Rooibos in the smoothies I drank as a teenager, so happy nostalgia points for this tea. Chilled the caramel notes become much stronger and the tea becomes a bit sweeter. In case you can’t tell I really enjoyed this Rooibos, in fact it might be the first unblended Rooibos that I have really enjoyed in a while.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/just-organic-tea-just-relaxing-red-tea.html

I came up with a brilliant idea today! In a few months (October to be exact) I am going back to Pennsylvania to visit my family for three months, I have been utterly stumped on how to provide for myself while I was there. I decided to create a GoFundMe campaign offering my crafty creations in return for funding. Wish me luck that it works!

Today’s tea is Just Organic Tea’s Just Perfect Peony, a nice white tea, specifically a Bai Mu Dan. Bai Mu Dan translates to White Peony, a perfect name for a delicate, leafy, tea. I will have to say this is one of the greenest of the White Peony teas I have run across, it is so vibrant! The aroma is a savory blend of lettuce, chestnut, paper, and little bit of roasted peanuts. I find it is pretty random as to whether or not a White Peony’s aroma will be more savory or sweet, I tend to like them both.

Into the gaiwan the leaves go! The brewed leaves’s aroma is a very green aroma of sage, lettuce, and dried green leaves. The aroma is is sharp and very green, fresh and like spring time. The liquid is slightly sweet with notes of lettuce and fresh vegetation.

The taste is honey sweet with a touch of lettuce and a tiny bit of spicebush. The tea is fresh and very spring like, I am amazed at how sweet the tea is considering how savory the aroma of the dried leaves were. I found it quite delicious and very refreshing.

For review and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-organic-teas-just-perfect-peony.html

Another sample from Just Organic Tea! thank you! One teaspoon of a bunch of teas seems like the best way to get your teas and some reviews out there! This is a lovely green tea – I’m afraid the spices of the others teas might have affected this one, even though I tried to separate the spicy teas from the others as soon as I got them for that reason. The flavor is marine-like with the first sips then gets vegetal. When the cup cools, it definitely seems like there is spice to the flavor though. This one doesn’t seem to get bitter. I left the infuser in the cup for the second steep a bit too long and it still tasted the same as the first cup. A very nice standard green tea! JustOrganicTea.com
Steep #1 // 35 min after boiling // 2 1/2 min
Steep #2 // 40 min after boiling // a few minutes (accidentally)

I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day yesterday! Mine was kinda odd, my dryer broke while I was doing laundry so I ended up hanging things on the line with a perpetual eye on the stormy clouds…it never did rain much to my surprise. While hanging the laundry out a grackle assaulted me, I think it wasn’t paying attention and it flew right into my chest and then squawked at me like it was my fault. I also got sunburned and the associated sun sickness because I keep forgetting that the UV is higher in the Midwest and going out without a sunhat is dumb.

Today’s tea from Just Organic Tea is Just Charming Chai, a blend of Oothu Black Tea, Cardamon, Cinnamon, Cloves, Organce Peel, and Natural Flavors. The aroma is spicy and warm, a blend of cinnamon and cardamon with notes of malt and a tiny hint of orange at the finish. This smells like a classic chai but with a nice orange flair to it.

The aroma of the brewed leaves is very spicy, lots of cardamon and a hint of pepper. There is also a nice amount of malt and earthiness, there is a tiny bit of sweet orange at the finish. The liquid is malty, sweet, and creamy with a spice and orange. It is very balanced and an intriguing twist on chai.

With the traditional cream and sugar, since that is how I like my chai, the taste is quite yummy. A bold and very smooth chai, strong spices that are well balanced, and nice rich malty finish. There is a tiny bit of orange that shows up in the midtaste and stays until the aftertaste. This tea does do something kinda funny, the flavor is really rich and bold at the beginning, but at the end it putters out to just mild orange and a tiny bit of spice. This tea had a great start but a pretty meh finish, but I did really like the start and the quirky orange twist.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-organic-tea-just-charming-chai-tea.html

My son loved this so much that he mentioned wanting it again a few times. He had a hard time understanding why he couldn’t with all the tea I have even my samples are more than a cups worth. Of course I had to make sure and include this in the Kickstarter order.
I cold brewed this sample and it was a good choice. I was surprised how nice the cinnamon complemented the blueberry. The hibiscus was not overpowering but added a nice amount of tartness that my son loves.

I drank this sample awhile ago and enjoyed so much that I made sure to include it in my Kickstarter order. It seemed a little unique for chai’s I normally drink but I could not figure out what it was, maybe when I get more I can pin point it.

I drank this sample a few weeks ago but i was to busy to make a note. I was worried about trying this one because I thought it might taste like a spiced orange jelly bean. Luckily for me I don’t think it does. It was a nice cinnamon spice with a light orange taste. Thinking back on it, I kind wish I added some to my Kickstarter order.

Another sample from Just Organic

This one also had the odd medicinal herbal smell that permeated my sample envelope. Luckily this time it didn’t seem to effect the taste.

First few sips. Yum! But where oh where is the stone fruit? I taste lovely lemon against a smooth black base. I swallow. Oh there it comes, juicy peaches and apricots. Yum.

I do feel like the name is a bit misleading because the lemon is so strong it verges on dominating the blend. Overall it’s a great tea that I’d definitely drink again.

This tea is a bit weird. Maybe I just feel that way because it’s called “Just Naughty ’Nilla” and it really doesn’t taste like vanilla at all. To me, the dominant taste is the carob, which is kind of chocolatey and kind of woodsy tasting. Woodsy is not really a favorite flavor of mine. I do like the base tea though. It’s quite malty, which I enjoy. Thank you for the opportunity to try this, Just Organic Tea!

Thanks again for the samples, Just Organic! I will be working on the samples again since the teabox is now on its way.
Steep #1 // 15 min after boiling (accidentally, wanted it to be 10) // 4 min steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min
The leaves here are very dark, somewhat tiny, and look like they are covered in flavor. Before I take a sip, the cup has a brown sugar fragrance. Then I get pumpkin again! I’m not sure why their black tea tastes like pumpkin to me, but it does. There is a sweetness there, but nothing I would call vanilla or chocolate. Maybe caramel! The second steep was much of the same, only stronger since I had used just boiled water. A unique tea, but I don’t think the name is accurate.

Oh dear.

I wanted to love this tea. I just got my pack of samples from Just Organic. When I opened it there was a strong smell of something that reminded me of slippery elm bark which I detest. I don’t know if all the samples were contaminated by this flavor what ever it is but this tea seems to suffer.

First the good. I love the base. Not to astringent, nice and smooth but not meek.

The vanilla flavor is mild and pleasant. Not a huge fan of carob so that might be tripping me up a bit too.

I’m drinking as I write this and have realized it’s more the smell than the taste that bothers me. I wish I had more than one cups worth of leaf so I could mess around with it but I’m getting some more from the kickstarter campaign so I’ll try to come back and update once I’ve messed with the parameters. I very rarely sweeten tea but this might benefit from a pinch of sugar.

Verdict—Undecided, postponed until further tasting.

MAHVEL BABEE! Sorry, this weekend there is a fighting game tournament (this one is in Chicago) and I am watching the livestream for my favorite game, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Weekends where I can devote my attention to what is the equivalent to my favorite sport make me very happy. Especially when I can fold origami and sip tea while watching…tea, geekery, and crafts, three of my favorite things at once. Get hype, yo.

Today’s tea is from Just Organic Tea, their Just Pure Green, a green tea bio-dynamically farmed in southern India. I had to look up bio-dynamic farming since it was not something I was really familiar with, apparently it is a holistic approach to farming, using things like special manures and composts, along with astrology and burying quartz crystals in the soil. Well, that is certainly an interesting approach to farming. The aroma of this tea is very faint, the leaves have a slightly vegetal and leafy aroma and that is all. What little aroma there is in the leaves is certainly a classic green tea.

Brewing the leaves brings out more aroma, the wake up in the water. The aroma of the wet leaves is quite green, a blend of vegetal notes and a slight citrus finish. It is a very typical green aroma that you expect from a ‘generic’ green tea. The liquid without the leaves is pretty much exactly the same as the wet leaves.

The taste of the tea is probably the most ‘green’ green tea I have ever had. That probably needs some explanation, when I say it tastes like a green tea…not any specific tea, no sencha or bi luo chun, just a generic green tea…this is exactly what comes to mind. A mild vegetal taste with a hint of citrus and a very faint hint of smoke at the finish. Add a little sugar or honey and it brings out latent fruity notes, let is chill and you get a really refreshing vegetation notes. This tea is solid, I would recommend it if you are wanting to take baby steps into the world or green tea, or if you want a good green for making iced tea.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-organic-tea-just-pure-green-tea.html

I usually drink greens or oolongs so when I tasted this tea my first thought was that I somehow had contaminated my tea mug with coffee.

It is slightly sweet, and I guess what you would call malty. I haven’t had many teas like this, probably because it’s not something I think I would gravitate to. I can see a person that is trying to switch from coffee to tea really enjoying this, but to me personally it tasted like I was trying to drink hot water out of a cup that had been dedicated to coffee for too long.

Today Ben and I went for a hair cut, he for practical finding a summer job while school is out reasons, and me because I was getting really sick of my hair. I am blessed/cursed with thick, fluffy hair that goes everywhere and has a perpetual cowlick, when it is short it is quite cute and manageable, when it is long I get lost in it Cousin It style. It is safe to say that with my now very short asymmetrical pixie cut I feel like my head is 10 pounds lighter. Perfect for the inevitable onslaught of summer.

Today’s tea has nothing to do with hair, in some cases that is sad (a non fuzzy silver needle would be so weird) but in the case of Just Naughty ’Nilla by Just Organic Tea, that is probably for the best. This dessert like tea is a blend of Black Tea, Carob, and Natural Vanilla Extract. The aroma is malty, rich, and sweet with a nice kick of vanilla and a mild woody chocolate finish. I always find that carob smells like a mix of wood and chocolate, just different enough to not be chocolate.

The brewed and now quite soggy leaves have an earthy, woody, and malty aroma with a very nice and sweet vanilla note along with a finish of rich chocolate. It smells more like chocolate and less like carob, but I admit most my experience with the stuff is in food and not tea. The liquid is mostly creamy and rich vanilla with a pleasant malty finish.

The tea is quite brisk and wakes you up, there are nice notes of malt and vanilla with a finish of chocolate/woody carob. This tea was surprisingly not very sweet on its own, it had the taste and olfactory pleasure of vanilla and chocolate but not of the sweetness. Adding a bit of sugar did bring it out some, bit oddly I preferred it unsweetened because with sugar it seemed a bit fake. I am not sure I would seek this tea out on my own, but I certainly would not say no to it if offered.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-organic-tea-just-naughty-nilla-tea.html

I am practically exploding with fidgety excitement! My much anticipated travel gaiwan set arrived today and I want to test it out, but I want to try it with Ben and waiting for him to get home is killing me! I am so extremely pleased with my new treasure, the six tiny cups, gaiwan, and cha hai all have a black and orange carp and a little bit of pond weeds. Also the pouch is tiny, it is smaller than my camera and is the perfect size to fit in my purse. So happy about my fishy tea set!

Today’s tea is another offering from Just Organic Tea, Just Tulsi With a Twist! A nice herbal blend of Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Lemon Myrtle, Peppermint, and Tulsi. The aroma is quite peppery, lemony, spicy, and loads of tulsi goodness. I have become rather enamored of the aroma of tulsi…ok, I have become enamored of its taste as well. Do not, when sniffing this tea, stick your nose in and take a good sniff. I suggest wafting the aroma towards your nose because intense sniffing will end up in a sneeze. Pepper, gotta love the sneeze effect! The different elements of this tea have quite potent aromas, but they all manage to blend together well and balance nicely.

The brewed herb and spice pile has a very strong aroma, lots of ginger and lemon myrtle, a little too potent for me. There is also a hint of pepper and mint. The liquid without its herb-tastic friends is much milder. Notes of tulsi, lemon myrtle, and spices waft up with the steam from my cup. Yum!

The first thing I notice in tasting this tea is the pepper, it really seems to linger for the majority of the sip. There are other notes such as the lemon myrtle and tulsi, but along side these notes is the nice dashing of pepper. I think The Duchess’s Cook in Alice in Wonderland would be quite fond of this tea. After the initial herbal and peppery treat, the taste fades to a gentle sweetness and gingery finish. This tea did not strike me as much as their Just a Trio of Tulsi, but it is quite enjoyable in its uniqueness.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-organic-tea-just-tulsi-with-twist.html